CHIJMES

CHIJMES is a restored heritage complex in Downtown Core, Singapore, located at 30 Victoria Street near City Hall. Originally the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus established in 1854, it preserves colonial-era buildings including the Gothic-style CHIJMES Hall (former chapel, completed 1904) and Caldwell House (1840-1841). Gazetted as a National Monument, it now functions as a dining, retail and events destination with restaurants, bars and landscaped courtyards, notable for its architecture and central location.

Visitors can expect a pedestrian-friendly heritage complex centered around a landscaped lawn and courtyard, dominated by the white Gothic-style CHIJMES Hall with stained-glass windows, pointed arches and a vaulted interior. Surrounding two-storey colonial blocks house restaurants, bars and shops. The site offers open-air walkways, heritage architecture, photo spots, dining areas and event spaces. The chapel interior is accessible during non-private events and the grounds are illuminated in the evening.

Site of the former Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus, founded in 1854 by Father Jean-Marie Beurel with French nuns. Caldwell House, built 1840-1841 as a private residence, was acquired for the convent and is one of Singapore's oldest surviving buildings. The Gothic chapel (now CHIJMES Hall) was designed by Father Charles Benedict Nain and completed in 1904. The convent operated as a school and orphanage until 1983. The complex was restored in the 1990s and gazetted as a National Monument in 1990.

Represents Singapore's colonial and Catholic educational heritage and adaptive reuse of historic buildings. The chapel and convent buildings are noted for Gothic Revival architecture and stained-glass work. Today it serves as a cultural and lifestyle landmark hosting weddings, performances and community events while preserving the character of the former convent.